Hello All,
Iridium 27 (24947, 97051D) flashed in the negative magnitude range for the
last two evenings. Both were similar passes - beginning in the NNW at about
the same time.
On Friday evening the pass began at 21:53 EDT (01:53 UT 11 April). The
flashes were in the -2 to -3 range until it reached about 30 deg above the
horizon. The maximum brightness faded to about a +1. The flashes were
anywhere from 3 to 6 seconds apart.
On Saturday the pass began about 21:50 EDT (01:50 UT 12 April). The flashes
were in the -2 range and were about 3 seconds apart early in the pass and
about 6 seconds apart at the shadow exit.
Because of the MMAs, the flashes appear to be like a strobe. They are not the
least bit "gradual" in the increase in brightness. It looks like a firefly as
it moves across the sky.
Cheers.
Don Gardner
Homepage: http://members.aol.com/mir16609/
76.8419 W, 39.1796 N, 34m ASL